Can patients with thick white tongue coating use Heishunpian (Black Prepared Slices)?

Whether patients with thick white tongue coating can use Black Prepared Slices (Hei Shun Pian) depends on the specific condition. If the condition is caused by cold-dampness affecting the spleen, it can generally be used under the guidance of a physician. However, if the symptoms are caused by excess heat or internal heat due to yin deficiency, it should not be used. Detailed explanations are as follows:

A thick, white, greasy tongue coating is usually attributed to cold-dampness in the spleen and stomach, where dampness and turbidity accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and rise to the mouth and tongue. In such cases, treatment should focus on warming the spleen, eliminating dampness, and clearing turbidity. Black Prepared Slices have effects of warming the body, invigorating yang energy, warming the kidneys to dispel cold, and relieving pain by dispersing cold. Under medical supervision, they can be combined with other medicinal herbs such as cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi), poria (Fu Ling), and dried ginger (Gan Jiang) to achieve the effects of resolving cold-dampness and eliminating masses or stagnation.

However, if thick white tongue coating is accompanied by symptoms such as dry mouth and thirst, constipation, or irritability, it may indicate internal heat due to excess condition or hyperactivity of fire due to yin deficiency. Black Prepared Slices are warm in nature and may intensify internal heat symptoms if used inappropriately, thus should not be used alone or in excessive amounts. Moreover, Black Prepared Slices contain aconitine, which has certain toxicity and must be properly combined and administered under the guidance of qualified TCM practitioners; self-medication is strongly discouraged.

In daily life, it is recommended to maintain healthy dietary habits and avoid raw, cold, and greasy foods, which may help alleviate symptoms of thick white tongue coating.